Radiator protector



May 29,1923; T. H. WELCH RADIATOR PROTECTQR Filed Nov. 16, 1921 l/EA/TOR10X Patented May 29, 1923.

fUNlT'ED STATES PATENT oFFIcE.

THOMAS H. WELCH, 0F HAWTHORNE, NEW YORK, 'ASSIGNOR OF ONE-THIRD T0HORACE K. CURTIS AND ONE-THIRD T0 JOHN I. D. BRISTOL, BOTH OI CHAP-PAQUA, NEW YORK.

RADIATOR PROTECTOR.

Application filed November 16, 1921. Serial No. 515,651.

T 0 all whom z'tmay concern:

Be it known that I, THOMAS H. WnLoH, a citizen of the United States,residing at Hawthorne, in the county of Westchester and State of NewYo'rk, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in RadiatorProtectors, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to automobile accessories and has particularreference to means co-operating with the radiator to prevent freezing ofthe water therein in cold weather'and so to keep the engine as nearly aspossible at the temperature most adaptable for efficient operation ofthe machine.

Among the objects of the invention is to provide a shield or guard forco-operation with a portion of the radiator for the purpose of reducingthe radiating surface when the Water is in danger of being reduced totoo low a temperature.

Another object of the invention is to provide a shield or guard memberwith means for attaching it quickly, conveniently, and neatly in place,and at a cost so low as to make the device easily within the reach ofthe owner or operator of any popular type of automobile, and a device atthe same time which I have found to be exceedingly well adapted for itspurpose.

A still further object of the invention is to provide attachment meansfor a radiator protector of such a nature that the device ma be attachedto or disconnected from the radiator almost instantly, but when in usewill be so held as to be secured reliably and not liable to become looseaccidentally.

With the foregoing and other objects in view the'invention consists inthe arrangement and combination of parts hereinafter described andclaimed, and while the invention is not restricted to the exact detailsof construction disclosed or suggested herein, still for the purpose ofillustrating a practical embodiment thereof reference is had to theaccompanying drawings, in which like reference characters designate thesame parts in the several views, and in which Figure 1 is a frontelevation.

.Fig. 2 is a vertical transverse section on the line 2-2 of Fig. 1.

Fig. 3 is a detail perspective view of one of the springs.

Fig. 4 is a similar view of one of the locking keys.

Referring now more specifically to the drawings I indicate at 10 aconventional radiator including vertical tubes 11 to which are attachedfins 12.

13 indicates a substantially fiat sheet of suitable material preferablyof' a moisture and heat proof composition, such as rubbero1d or itsequivalent, the same being of a length corresponding to the full widthof the radiator and of a height sufficient to protect as much of theradiator front as may be desired according to the weather, to preventthe cold air from going into, direct contact with the portion of theradiator that requires to be protected. At each end the sheet or plate13 is provided at the upper and lower corners with horizontally arrangedgrooves 14, and vertically between the grooved portions of said cornersisformed a hole or slot 15. I

' A bowed spring member 16 is shown provided for each end ofthe shield,and each spring is provided with a. foot portion 17' having a bead orprojection adapted for cooperation with any selected grooves or slots14, the grooves be ng so arranged as to prevent lateral or rotarydisplacement of the springs in practice. The central portion of eachspring is bent or bowed forward so as to lie about an inch, more orless, from the front surface of the guard 13, and said central portionof each spring is provided with a slot 18 in registry wit-h the slot 15of the guard. As a locking means for each spring I v show a key 19having at its rear or inner end a sharply bent hook 20 and at its frontend is a head or ring 21 the diameter of which is slightly greater thanthe length of the slot 18 so that a portion of the ring lies within theslot 18 and thereby the key is held from rotation. Moreover the positionof the head indicates to the operator the position of the point of thehook to facilitate the attachment or detachment of the device.

To connect the guard to the radiator it is simply put in place asindicated, and the springs are then put in place in succession, a keybeing projected rearward through the slot 18 of each spring and thencethrough the slot 15 of the guard, the hooks of the keys being passedrearward through the springs are shaped and the length of the hooks isso designed that in order to hook them over the fin or fins the springsmust be put under a sufficient degree of compression so as to serve tohold the keys in hooked position and thereby the springs will be held 1nposition with the projections 17 thereof in the grooves 14, and so inturn the guard will be held locked in the desired position on the frontof the radiator. The point 22 of each hook is relatively broad and liesaway from the body of the key while the remaining portion of the hookwill lie parallel and close to said body. This form facilitates theengagement of the hook around the fin and reduces the possibility ofeither rattle or ac cidental disconnection of the parts. Furthermore thepoint of the hook is preferably fiat 'or chisel-shaped, giving a moresecure engagement with the fin and with minimum likelihood of bendingthe fin. As a further means to prevent displacement of the guard, eitherupward or laterally or downward, the body thereof to form thecorrugations 14 is projected rearward so as to lie between thehorizontal fins and also, longitudinally of the guard, it will liebetween the vertical water tubes. These corrugations serve primarily toprevent creeping .of the guard along the radiator front in anydirection, the springs and keys holding the same in said position.

I claim:

1. In a radiator protector, the combination with a radiator having afront provided with horizontal and vertical parts forming spaces, of aguard member lying flat against the radiator front and havingprojections extending from its rear surface into said horizontal andvertical spaces, and means to hold said guard in such position.

2. A device as set forth in claim 1 in which the guard member is formedof moisture and heat proof material and is provided with a plurality ofcorrugations formed in its front surface and so shaped as to constituterearward projections, and wherein the holding means includes a pluralityof members fitted against the front of the guard and into certain ofsaid corrugations.

3. The herein described radiator protector comprising a guard member forco-operation with the front of the radiator, and

means to detachably lock the guard mem-' ber in place, said meansincluding a plurality of springs of flat material but bowed forward fromthe front of the uard member, parts of the. springs engaging the guardmember, and key means cooperating with the radiator and engagin theport-ions of the springs bowed forwar from the guard member.

4. In a radiator protector, the combination of a guard member and meansto detachably lock the same against the front surface of the radiator,said locking means including a pair of springs having the end portionsthereof bearing against the guard member while the middle portions ofthe springs are extended forward from the guard member and key meanscooperating detachably with the radiator and engaging the forwardportions of the springs and serving to hold the same backward with thesprings under compression and whereby the key means are held in place.

5. A device as set forth in claim 4 in which each spring at its forwardportion is provided with aslot and the co-operating ke is projected intosaid slot and thereby he d from rotation with respect to the spring.

6. A device as set forth in claim 4 in which the spring is provided atits forward portion with an opening through which the associated keymember is projected rearward having at its rear end a hook having aflatpoint for engagement over the rear edge of a radiator fin.

7. The combination with a radiator having horizontal and vertical frontspaces and a plurality of flat metal fins adjacent thereto, of aprotector'comprising a guard member lying against the front of theradiator and having a plurality of corrugations struck backwardtherewith forming grooves in front and projections at the rear forcooperation with the radiator spaces, a plurality'of springs placedagainst the front of the ard member, each spring having end portionsfitted into certain of said corrugations and having a forwardlyprojecting portion with a slot formed therethrough, and a key for eachspring including at one end a hook for passa e through said spring slot,thence through t e guard member, and thence between adjacent fins andengageable over one of the fins, and havin at its other end a flat headhaving interlocking co-operation with the slot of the s ring and in thesame vertical plane as the 00k. a

8. The herein described guard holdin key for radiator protectors, thesame having on one end a loop-shaped head and at the THOMAS H. LCH.

